RocketEngines
From NPrize
Rocket Engine
The general principle may be simple, but there are numerous ways of achieving it. Different features and properties differ between existing rocket engines, and they all have consequences on complexity of manufacturing, complexity of operation, cost and weight for example.
We gather in this table the main properties of existing rocket engines.
| Company | Rocketdyne | XCOR | XCOR | Virgin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | SSME | XR-4A3 (EZ-rocket) | XR-5K18 (Lynx) | SpaceShipOne |
| Propellers | LOX & LH2 | LOX & Alcohol | LOX & Kerosene | LOX & Kerosene |
| Tank pressurization | Yes, with O2 and H2 gases | No | No | Yes |
| Fuel pump | Turbopump | Piston pump | Piston pump | ? |
| Cooling | Regenerative w/ LH2 in three stages | Regenerative | Regenerative w/ Kerosene | Regenerative |
| Chamber metal | Copper or iron? | Copper | Copper | ? |
